1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the art of hand rakes and other hand implements for gathering materials or loosening or smoothing the surface of the ground. This invention is particularly related to light weight, compact rakes which are easy to carry and use by a golfer during a golf game. 2. Description of the Prior Art
A collapsible rake is shown in the Burrows U.S. Pat. No. 3,990,516. This Burrows rake was especially designed as a portable rake for use by golfers as they play so as to be available at the instant of need to smooth sand traps and remove debris from their path of play. This Burrows rake is a collapsible or folding rake which is quickly convertible from a useful rake into a compact package. The Burrows rake has a hollow handle supporting an inner shaft and a sliding collar. The shaft is connected to a foldable plastic rake head that has two rake members and two supporting arm members pivotably connected at their ends to the rake member. The rake head is adapted to be drawn into the hollow handle and to be withdrawn therefrom. The proportions of this Burrows' rake appear to be quite unusual when comparing the large width of the rake head with the short length of the handle. It would appear that the shortness of the Burrows rake would cause it to get lost inside the golfers bag amongst the golf clubs.
The expired Jenkins U.S. Pat. No. 1,916,052 relates to a full size, a yard rake, where the rake head may be laterally extended and retracted at the will of the user in order to facilitate access to restricted areas, as underneath and between hedges and bushes. The rake head is adjustable because it has a plurality of pivotally mounted overlapping sections, and each section carries at its free end a series of uniformly spaced, resilient teeth or tines. This collapsible rake has a cam slot arrangement for operating the lateral extension and retraction of the rake teeth or tines. This rake also has a single, retractable prong that serves as a spear point for picking up paper and other debris.
The expired Potemkin U.S. Pat. No. 2,072,992 is another collapsible rake design this is similar to the design of the Jenkins patent. Potemkin has a long rigid handle supporting a plurality of flexible tines, with means being provided for adjusting the spaces between the tines. This adjustability allows the tines to be substantially closed to facilitate storage. There is a movable tine support member supported from the handle which controls the spacing of the tines.
The Huspen U.S. Pat. No. 3,750,379 shows another design of collapsible rake similar to the Potemkin rake where there is a movable tine support member which is capable of adjusting the spacing between the tines. By changing the position of the tine support member on the handle, the width of the swath of the rake can be regulated.